Ore conditioning device



May 7, 1935. J. P. RUTH, JR 2,000,418

ORE CONDITIONING DEVICE Filed Feb. 6,1955

l [I Tml -IllmL-mi Patented May 7,v 1935 Y, 1- r i UNITED STATES 'PATENT' OFFICE'.`

' Y. Y' 2,000,418` f V' om: CONDITIONING Inzvlon 1 Y Joseph P. Ruth, Jr.,nenver,`oo1.. y Application FebruaryI, 1933, Serialfo.. 655,390."

ZClaims. (Cl. Z597) Y 4Thisinvention relates to improvements in ore the turnbuckle I6. Extending into the opening l conditioning apparatus of the type employed in II from above isafshort pipe I1 and surroundconnection with froth flotation ore separation. .ing this pipe is a casting -I84 having its bottom I have found that for the successful sepaprovided with an opening I9. 'The space between 5 ration offcertain kinds of ores, it is necessary the pipemIT Vandthe side of the opening. I9, is 5 .to remove the solubleV air andoxygen from the filled with somepackingfmaterial which 'is held pulp prior to treatment by froth flotation and in place by a ring 20.7 Member I8 has an `openin order to' enable me to successfully condition ing 2| on the side from which a pipe 22 extends. the ore in the absence of oxygen, I have found Any material that passes upwardly'throughthe l0 it-necessary to devise a conditioning apparatus pipe I2 flows into .the Vinterior, of f member` I8 1Q in Whichthe `ore pulp can be agitated for the and thence out through'the pipe 22. Member required length of time in contact with .certain l I8 can be rotated about thepipe I1vso that pipe inhibitingchemicals without introducingair and 22 can be adjusted to discharge` from any side oxygeninto the pulp. of themconditioning apparatus.

This invention, briefly described, .comprises a The cylindrical wall *5H is provided ,withl an l5 conditioning tank that is provided with an agiopening 23 and this is enclosed bythe walls of tating propellerand whose top is closed in such a reception-compartment24. The upper edges 'fa Wayl that no air can enter, or liquid leave, exof-,the walls of .compartment 24 is provided with v cept through an opening especially providedfor an outwardly extending flange 25 which A,coopj this purpose. TheA pulp, which is mixed' with erates'with asimilar flange26 secured to a feed 20 ideaerated water, is introduced to the conditionmechanismcomprisinga hopper whose bottom ing tank underneath the top land the parts are has` been indicated by reference numeral 21. A so arranged thatthe liquid level Aforms a seal brace 28 extends frointhe., plate 29 near the that prevents'the introduction of airV or oxygen upperand outer end ofthe bottom;21to a corduring the conditioning operation. 'Ihe length respondingplate secured to the wall of comy.25

ofthe conditioning operation is determined by ,.partmentllg jflhe hopperjhasanend wallA 3|, the rate at which the pulp is permitted to flow two side walls 32 and an end wall 33. Journaled into the conditioning tank. in the two side walls 32 are shafts 34 and 35.

Having thus briefly described the objects of Secured to the shaft 34 is a sprocket wheel 36 the invention and the apparatus by which the and rotatably mounted on shaft 35 `is a wheel 30 objects are attained, the apparatus will now be 36'. lA sprocket chain 31 encircles the wheels described in detail and for this purpose refer- 36 and 36' and is provided with angular lugs ence will be had to the accompanying drawing 38 for a purpose which will hereafter appear. in which the preferred form of the apparatus has An electric motor 39 is connected by means of been illustrated, and in which: a belt 4U with a Wheel 4I. When the motor is 35 Fig. 1 is a vertical section through the conin operation the belt travels in the direction of ditioning tank; and the arrow. One side of the compartment 24 Fig. 2 is a view of the upper portion of the has an opening for the reception of one end of apparatus, looking in the direction of arrow 2, the pipe 59. 40 Fig. 1- Extending above the top of the conditioning 40 The apparatus which forms the subject of this tank is `a frame work comprising two vertical invention comprises a cylindrical tank 5 whose standards 42 which are held against sidewise mobottom has been indicated by reference numeral tion by braces 43 as shown in Fig. 2 and arev held B. This tank has been shown as supported on against transverse motion by braces 44 as shown 45 a floor 1 resting on the joists 8. The top of in Fig. 1. Diagonal braces 45 serve to increase 45 the 'tank is closed by a cover 9, which, in the the rigidity of the structure. Secured to the upform illustrated, is somewhat frusto-conical in per ends ofmembers 42 is a channel iron 46 and shape. Plate 9 is provided with a central opena similar channel iron 41 is secured to the uping II and extending downwardly from this openrights near the bottom as shown in Fig. `2. Se-

ing is a pipe I2. Secured to the lower end of cured to the web of channel iron 46 is albearing 50 the pipe are spacers I3 to the lower ends of 48 and a similar bearing 49 is secured to the web which the plate I4 is secured by being Welded of channel iron 41. An impeller shaft 50 is thereto. The plate I4 and pipe I3 are prefermounted for rotation in bearings 48 and 49 and. ably supported by means of angularly-related has secured to its lower end a propeller 5I. The

brace rods I5, whose tension can be varied by upper end of shaft 50 is provided with a grooved 55 belt pulley 52 with which the belts 53 cooperate.

A motor 54 is supported on brackets 55 and when Y vplace indicated by dotted line 56. The pulp, the

deaerated water, and the conditioning chemicals are introduced into the conditioning tank and subjected to agitation by the propeller 5|.. J'Ihe Y rate at which the material is introduced determines the rate at which it leaves and the time lof 'treatment can therefore be regulated by regulating the feed. e Instead of introducing the pulp and the deaerated water separatelyas shown'in the drawing, it is possible to introduce both the pulp, thev water and the chemicalsthrough pipe 59, in which case the feed hopper can be removed, if desired, and the top of thel receiving tank closed or the feed apparatus can simply remain as shown, but need notrbe operated.

It is evident that by means of the machine shown on the drawing and described herein, ore can be agitated to any extent and for any time required, in the absence `of air, and therefore in processes that require the pulp to be free from oxygen, this agitation can be carried on without danger of introducing oxygen which would interferewith the successful separation of the minerals. f

Although IV have shown and described the specific apparatus by means of which conditioning and agitation can be carriedout free from air or oxygen, it is evident that machines differently constructed could be substituted for the one shown v land the Ymachine described and illustrated should Atherefore be considered merely as one embodiment of means4 for the purpose under consideration.

In-order to protect the bottom'l from the excessive wear.V to which it wouldotherwise be subjected, I have shown a protecting plate 51 which is supported on a board platform 58 that in turn is supported from the upper surface of bottom 6. The propeller is operated in such a way that the material is forced downwardly at the center as indicated by the arrows and it will therefore move downwardly towards the bottom and upwardly along the sides and finally pass out through the pipe I2.

Having described the invention what is claimed aS 118W ISI 1. A device for conditioning and agitating deaerated ore pulp in the absence of air comprising, in combination, a closed tank, the top of the tank having a discharge opening, a pipe extending downwardly from the discharge opening to a point above the bottom of the tank, a baille plate located below the lower end of the pipe and secured to the latter by spacers, the plate having an opening, a shaft extending through the discharge opening, the pipe and the opening in the plate, a propeller agitator secured to the lower end of the shaft, means for rotating the shaft and the agitator, the side of the tank having an inlet opening below the top, and means for introducing deaerated'pulp into the tank through the `inlet opening.

2. A device for conditioning and agitating ore pulp in the absence of air comprising, in combination, a closed tank, the top of the tank having a discharge opening, a pipe extending down- Wardly from the disohargeopening to a point above the bottom of the tank, a baille plate located below the lower end ofthe pipe and spaced from thejlattenpmeans for holding the plate in position, the plate having an opening, a shaft extending through the discharge opening, the pipe and the opening in the plate, a propeller agitator secured to the lower end of the shaft at a point below the plate, means Vfor rotating the shaft and the agitator, the side of the tank having an yinlet opening below the top and means for introducing pulp into the tank through the inlet Openmg. Y

JOSEPH P. RUTH, JR. 

